Immortal Blood

by James M. Thompson

  * * *

  Five minutes later, the girls were back at the car.

  Matt and Shooter rushed to meet them, wrapping them in their arms.

  Sam held up Hunter’s cell phone. “We found this on his body. He admitted he’d been in touch with Morpheus, so the bastard has a good idea of where we are.”

  Matt noticed with a slight queasy feeling the phone was splattered with blood.

  “I’m going to try something,” Sam said, and she pushed the redial button.

  After a couple of rings, a voice said, “Morpheus.”

  “Hello, you sick son of a bitch,” Sam said sweetly.

  “Why, Samantha,” Morpheus answered, after a slight pause as he tried to cover his surprise at hearing her voice. “It is so nice to hear from you.”

  “I’m just calling to let you know we had your friend for lunch—literally. He’s not feeling too well just now and so he won’t be giving you any more reports on us,” she said, winking at Matt and the others.

  Morpheus was too stunned by this news to reply, and so Sam said into the silence, “You need to get a better class of errand boys, Morpheus. This one tasted like shit!” She clicked off the phone before he could answer.

  Sam wiped her fingerprints off the phone with the tail of her shirt and threw it as far as she could into the lake. And then, dusting her hands off, she smiled. “Well, let’s head for Canada, guys.”

  Twenty-nine

  When the Brewster Tours Bus pulled up at the Banff Springs Hotel, Elijah Pike, the Slonakers, and dozens of other tourists got off.

  Ed and Kim, who still looked peaked, shook Pike’s hand. “This is one of the best hotels in Canada,” Ed said, glancing up at the imposing building that looked as if it covered a couple of acres. “I’m sure you’re going to enjoy your stay here.”

  Pike followed his glance, nodding. “Yeah. It’s a pity I’m only going to be here a couple of days. Then, I’m going to move into my cabin out on the edge of the national park.”

  “Give us a call once you’ve settled in,” Kim said, smiling wanly. “We’ll have you over for dinner and I’ll cook up some moose for you.”

  Pike smiled. “I hope you’re talking about moose stew, with lots of potatoes, carrots, and green beans.”

  Ed arched an eyebrow. “You’ve eaten moose stew before?” he asked. “I didn’t think they had moose in Texas.”

  Pike realized his mistake the moment he’d spoken. The Slonakers didn’t know he’d been born and raised in Maine. “Uh, well, we don’t, but a friend of mine brought some back from an Alaskan hunting trip and I really enjoyed the way his wife fixed it.”

  Ed, with years of experience in intelligence and law enforcement, knew Pike was lying, but he couldn’t figure out why. “Well, I don’t like to brag, but Kim’s moose stew ranks right up there with the best in the world, so give us a call, ay?”

  Pike laughed at Ed’s use of the Canadian expression. “I will, and it’s been a real pleasure traveling with you two. Kim, I hope you get to feeling better soon.”

  She reached out and shook his hand, and Pike noticed she had a surprisingly strong grip for one who looked so sick. “I’m sure I will, as soon as I get some good home cooking in me.”

  Pike shook Ed’s hand and turned to walk into the Banff Springs hotel. “See you later,” he called over his shoulder as he entered the revolving door.

  Ed watched him walk away, wondering just what secrets Pike was carrying and if he’d ever discover what they were.

  A horn sounded from behind he and Kim and they turned to see a Mountie four-wheel drive SUV parked in a No Parking zone in front of the hotel. John Ashby stuck his head out of the window and waved. “You guys going to stand there all day or are you ready to go home, ay?”

  Once they loaded their luggage in the back, Kim got in the backseat and Ed sat up front with John. As he drove toward their home, John cut his eyes at Kim while he looked at Ed. “She doesn’t look so good, guy.”

  Ed nodded. “She isn’t feeling real good, either, John. It’s the diet.”

  John arched an eyebrow. “You mean you’ve both stayed on the diet for the entire trip?” he asked, as if he couldn’t believe it.

  “Yep,” Ed answered shortly. “Too dangerous not to when you’re traveling in strange places.”

  John gave him a wide smile. “Well, then I’ve got real good news for you. I’ve saved you both a little homecoming surprise at your house.”

  Kim leaned forward and put her arms on the back of the seat. “A surprise for us?”

  “Just wait until you see,” John said happily.

  * * *

  The Slonakers lived a little over ten miles out of Banff, down a winding dirt road that led up to the very edge of the Banff National Park. Their home was on ten acres and was very secluded, nestled as it was in deep piney woodlands.

  The cabin itself was log-sided on the outside with all knotty pine walls and oak wood floors. It was decorated in mountain chic, with heavy wooden chairs covered with leather and Indian-woven throw rugs on the floors.

  John and Ed carried in the luggage while Kim opened the door. Her mouth fell open when she entered and found two young people, who looked to be in their twenties, handcuffed to one of the support beams of the large main room. They were sitting cross-legged on the floor with the pole between them.

  When they heard the door open, they looked up through haggard, tired eyes. “Hey,” the boy yelled. “You’ve got to help us! This crazy man kidnapped us and has been holding us prisoner here . . .” He stopped in midsentence when he saw John Ashby enter the house behind Ed and Kim.

  Kim whirled around and stared at John openmouthed. “Is this your surprise?” she asked.

  He nodded shyly, blushing.

  “Oh, you wonderful man,” she said and ran to put her arms around his neck.

  “What’s their story?” Ed asked, walking over to stand in front of the terrified couple.

  “I picked them up hitchhiking along the Trans-Canada 1, a clear violation of all the signs, and to make matters worse, they both had marijuana in their backpacks.”

  “How long ago?” Ed asked, his eyes roaming over the ripe body of the young woman.

  “Five days,” John said, “and so far, there haven’t been any inquiries. It’s my guess they’re either runaways or fugitives. Either way, they’re my gift to you.”

  Kim put her hand on his shoulder and looked up into his face. “Would you like to share them with us?” she asked, lust filling her eyes.

  John held up his hand, “Oh, no, some other time maybe. This is your first night back home, so enjoy,” he said, backing out of the door and closing it behind him.

  Once John had left, Kim turned hungry eyes on the couple on the floor, who blanched and turned pale at the pure evil in her expression. She started for their bedroom, unbuttoning her blouse as she walked. “Ed, if you’ll get the basement ready, I’ll freshen up a bit before dinner,” she said.

  “All right, dear,” Ed said, and he moved to a thick wooden door in the far corner of the room. He took a ring of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the three heavy deadbolt locks on the door.

  He reached inside the door and flipped a switch on the wall, bathing the lower room in a bright light. He went down a flight of stairs and threw the covers off a huge bed in the middle of the room that was twice the size of a regular king size mattress. Whistling softly to himself as he worked, he unrolled a sheet of plastic and carefully fitted it over the bed, making sure that all of the mattress was covered, and then he tucked the corners in and smoothed the plastic before unfolding a double set of king size sheets that Kim had sewn together to make them large enough to cover the bed. Soon he had the entire bed made up and ready for the night’s festivities.

  He could feel himself becoming excited as he bounded up the stairs and stood before the terrified couple, his hands on his hips, staring down at the woman, the bulge in his pants evident.

  “What . . . what are you
going to do to us?” the girl asked tearfully, obviously terrified.

  Ed stroked his beard, forcing his eyes to remain friendly. “Well, now little one, that depends on you two. My wife and I like to have a little swinging action every now and then. Do you know what I mean?”

  The boy and girl glanced at each other, and then the boy answered, “You mean swinging, like changing partners for sex?”

  Ed smiled widely, spreading his hands. “That’s exactly what I mean. A little harmless fun between consenting adults, and then we’ll let you go on your way—as long as you promise not to tell anyone about the little, uh, games we like to play.”

  Both prisoners nodded rapidly. “Oh, we promise not to tell,” the girl said, “just please let us go!”

  “Yeah,” the boy echoed, “hell, Mary and I’ve swung a bit before so it’s really no big deal to us, as long as you don’t hurt us.”

  “Okie dokie then,” Ed said. “I’m gonna take the handcuffs off and we’ll go down in the basement where we have a nice, big bed set up for our fun and games.” His face turned harsh. “However, if you give me the slightest bit of trouble, I promise you I’ll hurt you real bad.”

  He bent and inserted a key into the handcuffs and released the couple. The girl’s legs trembled as she tried to stand and Ed put an arm around her waist to help her down the steps to the basement, motioning for the boy go in front of him.

  When the couple saw the huge bed, they glanced at each other, relieved that perhaps all that this strange couple really wanted from them was sex.

  Ed pointed to a shower stall in the corner of the room. “Take your clothes off and clean yourselves up. My wife and I will be back down in a few minutes.” He turned to go, stopped and looked back at the couple. “And don’t try anything. There’s no way out of this room and there’s nothing here you can use as a weapon. Remember, be cool and you’ll both walk away from this with no harm done.”

  He went up the stairs, locked the door behind him, and went into the bedroom. Kim was sitting in front of the mirror in a filmy negligee that left little to the imagination. Her pink-tipped breasts could clearly be seen through the thin cloth.

  Ed stepped behind her, leaned over and cupped her breasts in his hands. “You look good enough to eat, my dear,” he said, his voice already husky and hoarse with desire.

  She reached up and patted his cheek. “Not just yet, sweetheart. You can have me for dessert, but I’m anxious to taste the main course. It’s been far too long.”

  * * *

  Ed and Kim descended the stairs into the basement, Kim in her see-through nightgown and Ed wearing a pair of bikini briefs that did little to hide his distended penis.

  The boy and girl were lying next to each other on the bed, both completely naked, and both with expressions of fear and anxiety on their faces.

  Ed reached up to a switch on the wall and dimmed the lights to a low glow, noticing that as the boy watched Kim move toward him, his penis began to stir and move as her near nudity aroused him, making him forget his fears for the moment.

  Kim slipped into bed next to the boy and ran her hand down his stomach to his penis, cupping it and beginning to gently stroke him into full erection.

  He moaned a little and turned on his side to face her, his hands going to her large breasts and kneading them roughly. “Easy, big boy,” Kim chided him, “they’re not grapefruit. Be gentle.”

  The boy grinned nervously and eased up his grip, beginning to move his hips under the ministrations of Kim’s hand on him.

  She leaned over and kissed him on the mouth deeply, putting her tongue in his mouth until he responded in kind.

  After a few moments of this, she moved her head down his body and took him in her mouth, moaning in pleasure at the salty taste of him on her tongue.

  The boy grabbed her hips and pulled her on top of him, spreading her legs and burying his face in her steaming sex, groaning deeply as he devoured her.

  He’d completely forgotten about both Ed and the young woman he’d been traveling with, engrossed in Kim’s sexuality.

  Ed started slower than Kim, merely lying next to the girl at first and letting her watch what her boyfriend was doing to his wife while Ed gently ran his hands up and down her supple body.

  As Mary’s breathing began to quicken and her nipples hardened under his touch, he leaned over and began to suck and kiss her breasts lightly.

  Mary grunted once as he nipped at a nipple with his teeth, his hand busy between her legs until she became hot and wet. Finally, with no more urging from Ed, she rolled over and put both her hands on his penis, searching for his mouth with hers until they were kissing deeply, tongues dancing together as they stroked and fondled each other.

  After a few moments of this, Ed put his hands on Mary’s head and gently pushed it down toward his groin. Mary knew what he wanted and she began to lick and kiss the head of his penis, her eyes wide as it grew even bigger under her touch.

  “I can’t take it all in,” she whispered, opening her mouth as wide as she could. “It won’t fit.”

  “You’re doing just fine, Mary,” Ed grunted hoarsely, pumping his hips against her face as she slipped half of it into her mouth and began to suck while she stroked him with her hand.

  Ed laid his head back on the pillows, his eyes on his wife and what she was doing to the boy. Occasionally, she would glance back at him from under heavy lids, her pupils dilated with lust.

  When the boy began to grunt and pump his hips faster and faster against her mouth, Kim pulled her head back, continuing to stroke him lightly with her hand. “Uh-uh, big boy, not just yet,” she said, pulling her hips off his face. “I don’t want you to finish before I do.”

  She twisted her body around, pushing him down with her hands on his shoulders as she climbed on top and straddled him. A quick jerk of her hips and he impaled her, his penis going deep inside her groin. “Ah, that’s it,” she moaned, her face flushed with lust. “Now, faster . . . faster and harder,” she pleaded as she dropped her face to his and they began to kiss while he pumped inside her.

  Ed watched this as he inserted his fingers into Mary’s sex and found she was hot and wet and pulsating where his busy fingers played with her.

  When he felt almost ready to come, he withdrew from her mouth and pulled her up in the bed next to him. He rolled on top of her, easing his hips down between her legs, pulling them up over his shoulders as he jammed his penis into her, causing her to grunt in mixed pleasure and pain.

  While he pumped into Mary with his hands squeezing her breasts and she groaned in pleasure with her eyes shut, he leaned to the side and kissed Kim, who was sitting up and bouncing up and down on the boy next to him.

  After a few seconds, he pulled his face back and looked into her eyes. “Are you ready?” he grunted, unable to hold off much longer.

  “Oh yes!” Kim breathed in a harsh whisper, her eyes bright and flashing.

  They both began to let themselves change while they continued to move against their partners beneath them.

  The boy grunted harshly as he came, opening his eyes to find a monster on top of him, her face elongated with long, dripping fangs protruding from thickened lips. When he screamed in fear, still pouring semen into her, Mary opened her eyes and screamed along with him at the horrible sight of a vampyre leaning over her, red drool dripping from his fangs as he continued to push himself into her faster and faster.

  In spite of her terror, the girl felt her orgasm start and she pulsated over and over as the fangs came down and fastened onto her neck.

  As Kim began to come with the boy, she leaned down and opened her mouth wide, groaning with delight as she ripped his neck open and began to drink his life’s blood, sucking it in while he was still coming inside her.

  The screams became fainter and the couple’s bodies ceased moving as they were sucked dry, their lifeless eyes staring up but no longer seeing the monsters on top of them.

  After a moment of this, Ed pulled himse
lf out of the dead girl and pushed Kim over onto her back and off the lifeless body beneath her.

  He rolled between her legs and she crossed them behind his back, her heels on his buttocks urging him deeper and deeper as they copulated wildly, bloodstained mouths kissing while they grunted and howled like wolves under a full moon.

  Thirty

  When I checked into the Banff Springs Hotel, I considered using one of my many aliases, but I had already left such a clear trail under my present name, I doubted it was worth the effort. After all, with the extensive network of sympathizers in the various vampyre organizations across the world, it would be impossible to stay hidden for long. Perhaps it was better to just get ready for whatever was going to happen and let the chips fall. I had no doubt a major confrontation was going to occur; it was inevitable. Better to expect it and be prepared than to be caught unawares.

  With this in mind, I decided to enjoy the ambience of the most beautiful and spectacular hotel in Canada while I still had some breathing room.

  I got settled in my room, which was as grand as the rest of the place, and unpacked a few things for my short stay. Once that was done, I ambled about the hotel, browsing in the tony shops, buying some warm clothes for the upcoming winter season, and sampling the food in some of the various restaurants in the hotel.

  I’d found that since I stopped dining on fresh blood from living victims, I was much like a person who quit smoking after years of a heavy habit. Regular food tasted much better, and I found I had developed a sudden craving for sweets. But, again like a reformed smoker, there was always that secret craving just under the surface, gnawing at my mind like a voracious rat, and my body tried to tell me that a quick taste or two wouldn’t hurt.

  And, like anyone trying to break an onerous habit, I did my best to keep my mind on other things, though I knew when the final battle came, I would need at some point to again partake of the vice of drinking human blood in order to be strong enough to withstand an attack by Morpheus’s forces.

  As I shopped and did the typical tourist bit, I found myself continually pulling out my cell phone and checking to make sure it was still on. I should have heard from TJ and her friends by now and I was getting concerned that Morpheus might have somehow gotten to them.